A Love Affair With Scarves

The last time my best friend Gail (just like Oprah!) and I went shopping we spent considerable time looking at, trying on and buying some scarves. They are just such a fun addition to any outfit. I have a couple of ways that I always wear them. I was excited to read Amanda's post about wearing and storing scarves. Amanda even made a video on how to wear them 5 different ways!

I really haven't been very kind to my scarves. Right now they are laying in a heap on the bottom of my closet. (Don't ever,ever ask to see my closet please!) Amanda shows you how she stores her scarves. She has about 15 of them. I don't have quite that many.

For great ideas on how to wear and store your scarves check out her blog (Kevin and Amanda)to see for yourself. http://ow.ly/1bMOO

What's your favorite scarf? Mine is a black and silver one that I got in Paris! (Just read in this month's Women's Day Magazine that Walmart has some really cute spring scarves for $5.00. I'm going to have to check that out for sure!)

Princess Bible Book Review

I have been reading God’s LIttle Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila
Walsh. I would say this is a book written for girls ages 7-10. Its features include Songs, Beauty Secrets (quick tips on how to be “beautiful”), Stories of girls and women on the bible who made a difference,Role-playing and Plays, Articles that teach manners, poise and charm, Ways to extend the lessons to family and friends and Values from the Bible that “every princess should posess.”

After reading through this book I found the plays to be easy to do with little props required. Thebook contains simple, colorful graphics . It aso has simple activities for girls at the end ofeverylesson to extend and reinforce the main idea of the lesson. I was disappointed that the Songs listed contained the lyrics but no notes/music. So I’m not sure how girls are supposed to do much with the songs if they aren’t familiar with them.

Then I gave the book to my daughter to read to my granddaughters. They are ages 4 and 6. The girls really liked it, especially the acting out parts. Their mom however was not so fond of it. They read before bed and it took WAY too long to get through one section/story at bedtimeAgewise, she thought it was more appropriate for the 6 year-old and older girls. The older onecould answer some of the reflective questions at the end. The four-year old didn't seem to get those quite yet.

I would recommend the book for girls ages 7-10. They would be able to read the book on their own and then with help from an adult could put on the plays, discuss the reflective questions and do the activities at the end of each lesson.

Wordless Wednesday

We're tired of winter too!

Detox Revisited

I was planning on doing a detox soon until I read an article that said winter is not a good time to detox. Winter is the season when our bodies naturally slow down so it's important to replenish our systems and conserve energy, eating warming foods and building immunity.

So with that in mind, I've decided not to do the whole detox thing but to try to do a smaller detox by cutting out sugar. (oh, this is gonna be hard--I love desserts) I'm looking for ideas of snacks that don't contain sugar. I found this one in Body + Soul magazine.

Tropical Fruit Parfait

In a small jar or dish,layer 1/2 cup fruit cut into 1/2 inch cubes (kiwi,mangos and pineapple for example) with 1/4 cup plain low or non-fat yogurt. Top with 1 T. toasted sliced almonds. Serves 1 (100 calories).

I'm going to try to cut out the sugar for about a month so I'm going to need more snack ideas. Can you help me out? Ideas for sugarless snacks or desserts? I'm counting on you to keep me going!

A Beauty Product You Can't Live Without

For Marilyn Monroe it was probably Chanel No. 5 (which Jerry sprayed on himself when we visited Saks in Chicago--and immediately regretted it--but he did smell good for the rest of the afternoon until he could wash it all off!), for Kelly Clarkson it's probably eye-liner, for PINK probably a good hair mousse.

For me I need to have L'Oreal's Extra Volume Collagen Mascara. The wand is straight but holds lot of mascara. (This mascara claims that it give lashes 12x more impact. I would say more like 4x the impact. This mascara is definitely buildable, so it could give more impact if you do more than two application.) For me it gives enough impact without looking like Twiggy.(Full disclosure: Nobody asked me to write this post.)

As a contact lenses wear this mascara does not irritate my eyes. There was no flaking, which is great. Who wants to have flakes of mascara on their face at the end of the day. Best of all is that it does not leave your lashes hard.

Also, being a teacher and washing my hands so many times a day, I can't get by without Gathered From The Garden's Goat Milk and Honey Lotion!

What is the one beauty product that you can't be without?

Wordless Wednesday

Warm weather get-away? Nah, we went to Chicago. Never again in winter!

Time to Detox

My daughter is training for a half-marathon. One of the things she is doing is a detox. She is a chiropractor so she knows the best way to do it. I did a detox two years ago and it does make you feel good when it’s done. (I don't think it's particularly fun while you’re doing it however.) So after seeing her increased energy I am considering doing one again. I’m trying to convince my hubby to do it with me. It would be much easier to coordinate meals.

While he is deciding I thought I would look for some easier ways to detox. I found some great information over at http://www.veria.com/. Here are a few of their tips for skin detoxing—a much simpler way to detox!

It’s estimated that the skin handles as much as 10 percent of the body's natural filtration and that our sweat glands can actually detoxify our body of as much waste as our kidneys. (hard to believe!)The skin works with our internal organs to cleanse itself of potentially harmful chemicals. The skin, if well cared for, can take on a larger share of the body’s detoxification process.

*For starters, it is important to eat a balanced diet of whole foods and drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
*Saunas and steam baths work well for flushing harmful toxins from the skin.
*It’s also important to exfoliate the skin regularly. Dry brushing is an easy way to exfoliate your whole body.
*Hydrotherapy (with caution see their website for more info on this)

Contrast showers—showers that alternate between periods of hot and cold—are terrific for the skin. They not only improve blood flow, they have also been shown to help the body rid itself of metabolic waste, inflammatory by-products and other toxins.

Hot full baths should be taken in water from 100-113 degrees F. The objective of a hot full bath is to markedly increase blood circulation by using high heat. Hot full baths should immediately be followed by wrapping the body in a towel or blanket. This causes the body to sweat profusely and suddenly and is an extremely effective way of detoxing the skin.

*Apple cider vinegar baths are an extremely effective way of beautifying the skin. They are therapeutic and detoxifying: apple cider vinegar baths restore the body's acid-alkaline balance. (This one liquid sure has a plethora of good uses!)

Check out veria's website for detailed explanations of all the points above. Then give some of these a try and let us know what you think. Meanwhile, I'll keep working on Jerry to join me in detoxing. :)

Valentine Treats

I love simple. So I was tickled to see Leigh Anne's post of Valentine treats over at "Your Homebased Mom" blog. The first one is dipped oreo's. So simple and sweet! I could make these for the great people I work with. Check out the oreos and more fun treats for your sweetie. http://www.ow.ly/15JvV

"Money-moon"

I saw a cute little blurp in Real Simple magazine (http://www.realsimple.com/). It gave the definition of "Money-moon" as "the window of time after you purchase something before buyer's remorse sets in."

Boy, did that hit home. I have a blazer that I bought when I was shopping with a friend two week-ends ago. It's still hanging in my closet with the tags on, unworn. It's a cute little blazer, it really is. But do I really need another black blazer? Does it really fit all that well? But you know, the price was SO good...and my friend said it looked good on me. (was she just saying that to be nice?)

Have you ever had buyer's remorse? I have to admit this is not my first encounter with it. I sure wish there was a fashion fairy that you could summon. She'd be honest in how it looks on you and whether or not you really need to buy it (even if the price is SO good!)

I'm going to go try it on again and take a really close look in the mirror. I'll try to visualize where I will wear it and how often I'll wear it. If I'm still feeling buyer's remorse I'm gonna take it back.

And if you're like me, your husband is clueless to what this is all about! Probably a good thing for me!

Get Beautiful Nails at Home

If you want your hands to look younger, give yourself a manicure! Here are four common mistakes and the smart fixes to protect your nails.

Don’t file nails back and forth. The sawing motion weakens your nails and can cause them to split. File in the same direction with a soft emery board. To help prevent your nails from breaking, keep them short and square with a slightly rounded edge.

Don’t use acetone-based polish remover. This strips away the moisture and natural oils that will keep your nails flexible. (An example is Cutex Quick & Gentle Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover.)

Don’t cut your cuticles. Your cuticles act as a barrier against infection-causing bacteria. Instead, soak your nails in warm water to soften your cuticles and then push them back with an orange stick. (That is the only part of a professional manicure I have never liked--cutting my cuticles.)

Don’t paint your nails with old polish. Most polishes formulated before 2007 contain dibutyl phthalate, a chemical shown to cause birth defects in rodents. Buy a new polish that’s phthalate free like one from OPI, Avon or Sally Hansen.

Here’s a little nail trivia—did you know it takes 8 months for nails to grow an inch?

Don't you love the names of nail polish? What's your favorite color's name? I like this one..."Mystic Peacock"!

Wordless Wednesday

From my sweet daughter and son-in-law. A touch of spring!

Wear Red on Friday

Two important things happened last Thursday. My dad had two more stents put in his arteries and I had to meet with an endocrinologist. For my dad, this was another round of work on his heart. His family has an extensive history of heart disease and heart problems. He is no exception. He has had quadruple bypass surgery, a valve implant and several stents. It's truly amazing to me that he needs all of this because my mother is so vigilent about his diet and exercise. It's definitely hereditary.

My visit to the doctor started because I was told to have a specialist take a closer look at my thyroid. She had questions for me and I had questions for her. What if I chose to not do the procedures she was suggesting? Her response was that it could cause heart problems down the road and possibly strokes.

Knowing my dad's heart history puts everything in a different light. While I am still exploring my options with my thyroid care, I am continuing to do the things I have always done for my heart. I exercise every day except Monday.(gives my muscles a rest). I really watch what I eat and read food labels. My cholesterol is low and I think I have a handle on my stress level. I can only hope that I have inherited more of my mother's heart genes than my dad's!

Friday, Feb 5, is National Wear Red Day. Wear red and show your support for women's heart disease awareness. What are you doing to take care of your heart?